This invention relates in general to remotely actuated, manual shift systems for use with vehicle engine testing. In particular, this invention relates to such systems which respond to actual driving data on a real-time basis by means of servo mechanisms.
Engine testing wherein various-sized gasoline and diesel engines are evaluated often necessitates the shifting of gears between periods of throttle acceleration for those vehicles having manual transmissions. Dynamometer systems are one example of engine and vehicle testing systems which require actual operation of the engine or vehicle as part of the testing and evaluation.
Although remotely controlled systems are known to exist for automating the manual shifting of gears, these systems respond to preprogrammed input signals which do not represent actual driving conditions. Nor do such signals represent the timing and shifting of gears by an actual driver of the vehicle which is to be subjected to further testing. Further, such systems often incorporate fixed drive systems which are only capable of two-position movement.
It would be an improvement to such systems to be able to compile data from an actual driving test which reflects the timing and shifting response of an actual driver relative to particular road conditions and the particular vehicle. This actual data would then be used during engine and vehicle testing in order to control the operation of the clutch, throttle and gear shift in a manner identical to the actual test drive. It is felt that such actual driving data, which exactly duplicates road test conditions and which is applied in a real time manner, results in more accurate data and a truer set of test results regarding the operation of the vehicle.
Further, it would be an improvement to known systems to eliminate the limitation of two-position movement and replace these types of systems with electromechanical servo arrangements in order to improve the system.
The present invention provides each of these improvements as well as others, all of which will be apparent from the following descriptions.